The Jiuyuehong navel orange is one of the earliest-ripening navel orange varieties in China. It is rich in juice with a jelly-like flesh. In previous years, this variety was launched in September. This year, due to the dry weather, the production season was postponed until the end of October and it lasted until the end of December.
"The Jiuyuehong navel orange is a minor variety among navel oranges. It is only grown in Zigui County, Hubei Province. It is a famous local product with an output of tens of millions of kilograms. Affected by the dry weather this year, the production season was postponed, and the output was basically stable and slightly reduced. Oranges are smaller in size but sweeter in taste, "Mr. Liu Faying from Zigui Chengguan Trading Co., Ltd. told FreshPlaza.
"Unlike previous years, the price opened low and ended high. The purchase price at orchards has been adjusted from the initial 7/kg to the current ￥6/kg, and it is estimated that it may drop to ￥4/kg later. In previous years, it started from ￥5/kg and gradually increased to ￥8-￥10/kg. The reason is that the high price this year is related to the farmers' large investment in drought resistance in the early stages and the high expectation of the harvest price, while the decline is due to poor market conditions, and the pandemic has reduced the number of local merchants, which may lead to a production excess over sales. "
According to Mr. Liu, Zigui County is located on the edge of the Yangtze River. In previous years, there was very little drought. The local area is a mountainous landform, and drip irrigation technology has not yet been developed. In the event of drought, artificial irrigation is required. This summer, the local area had two months without rain. Local farmers actively fought against drought, by such means as purchasing small water pumps to pump water from the Yangtze River for irrigation and purchasing expensive irrigation water. Through these efforts, the overall impact of drought on the harvest has been reduced compared to other producing areas. But prices are higher than in previous years due to increased investment in drought relief.
"The Jiuyuehong is freshly harvested, and they are not stored in cold storage to ensure freshness and health. In recent years, it has snowed in winter. We are worried that the snow will damage the fruits now, so we need to sell the fresh fruits before the Spring Festival. This year, the production season was delayed and the Spring Festival came earlier, and the shortening of the sales period has become a challenge.”
The well-known citrus varieties in Zigui County include Zigui Lunwan Oranges and Newhall navel oranges. Zigui Chengguan Trading Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in citrus products, including Zigui Lunwan Orange, Jiuyuehong, Zhonghuahong, Newhall, Hunan Bingtang Orange, and Sichuan Fengjie Navel Orange. It has its own cold storage. Sales channels include e-commerce, community group buying, and wholesale markets.
More information
Mr. Liu Faying
Zigui County Chenggui Trading Co., Ltd.
Tel: +86 18307179771
Email: [email protected]